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Djurgården is looking for help and wants to challenge the system in Swedish hockey.
With a vulnerable sporting and financial situation, they appoint a working group.
In an open letter, they criticize the increased differences in the conditions between the SHL and Hockeyallsvenskan.
- Djurgården IF has appointed a crisis group to handle its challenging financial and sporting situation.
- The club has expressed concern about the increased differences between the SHL and the Hockeyallsvenskan, especially regarding media rights and player compensation.
- Djurgården is seeking support from other clubs and wants to challenge the current system in Swedish hockey.
ⓘ The summary is made with the support of AI tools from OpenAI and quality assured by Aftonbladet. Read our AI policy here.
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The crisis group will be led by incoming CEO Matthias Sånemyr and sporting manager Niklas Wikegård.
Djurgården goes out on its official website and writes that the club is in a bleak financial situation.
They state that the team plays in the Hockeyallsvenskan as a sporting failure that has major consequences for the overall competitiveness over time.
At the same time as they take responsibility for the high staff turnover, the club’s commercial development and the shortcomings in the conditions for conducting ice hockey activities in Stockholm.
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1 / 2Photo: JOHANNA WALLEN / BILDBYRÅN
Shows increased gaps
Djurgården has previously criticized the decision-making process at the Swedish Ice Hockey Association regarding clubs being included in the league organizations SHL, Hockeyallsvenskan and Hockeyettan.
Now they point to how the differences between the SHL and the Hockeyallsvenskan will increase further in the coming years.
“This is bad for both Djurgården Hockey and for Swedish ice hockey. To take an example, the compensation for media rights to the clubs in the Hockeyallsvenskan remains at five million kroner, while the SHL clubs can count on 65 million kroner annually until 2030,” writes the club.
In addition, Djurgården thinks that the compensation system for players from lower divisions to the SHL and that the compensation for players who leave for the NHL are insufficient.
“Due to a lack of good arena and training conditions, the association is also not given the opportunity to capitalize on the two competitive advantages we have in the form of great supporter interest and successful youth and junior activities,” writes the club.
They also point out that they were involved in making the decisions about the series systems and financial distribution: “We can only regret it. It has hit others hard and now it is hitting us.”
Threatened by cuts
Djurgården calls this “a completely unsustainable economic situation”.
If the conditions remain unchanged, the economy will force Djurgården to make severe cuts in operations and sporting ambitions.
Now they want to hold discussions with the members, shareholders, partners and other stakeholders for an action plan.
“What is needed, our conviction, is a conversation within Swedish ice hockey about how sustainable today’s business model is depending on geographic home location, league and associated rights and that, as in Djurgården Hockey’s case, it is not actually worth enough to have a successful youth team – and junior ice hockey”, writes the club.
They want a debate within Swedish hockey and seek support from other clubs.
On Monday, March 11, Djurgården has also invited to an information meeting for members.
